Part II...
Eastern Empire
Earldom of Honneland
Crest: Crossed purple lances on a field of silver
Info: Such is the importance of chivalry and tourney that it is unsurprising to find two lances on the earldom's crest. Second only to the Great Tourney of Tamzyrr is the Feat at Rallick's Field, a general tourney testing all the skills of knighthood annually hosted by the city's defenders, the Silver Shields. The first tourney reportedly occurred in 4769, when Emperor Rallick Anodheles the Valiant paused at Immuron to call upon the earldom's knights for service in the Second Elven War. In order to select officers for command of such a force, the Emperor allegedly held an impromptu tournament to discern the most skilled knight. Since that era, a special banner with Honneland's crest flies from a tower built to view the field, with the colors of the banner changed to reflect those of the winning house or order from that year's competition. In the earldom, of greater honors there are few.
County of Trauntor
Crest: Two Black Towers on a Field of Dark Green
Info: The crest of Trauntor was inevitably decided the moment the last stone was set in place, finishing the imposing fortress at Barrett's Gorge. Such was the pride of the Empire of a victory over an elven foe, once erstwhile slave masters, that the towers became a symbol of human achievement and advancement throughout the Empire. Likewise, most Nalfein elves dismiss the crest as a silly human invention of unoriginality. Often, the crest is present in the courts and parties of those espousing human superiority over elves.
Barony of Bourth
Crest: Three black yew trees on a field of white ringed by five hawk feathers.
Info: The Caulfields originally built their wealth and power on the wood of the barony and pay tribute to this resource, as well the mysterious Wyrdeep Forest, with the placement of trees upon the barony's crest. While black and white were the original colors of the crest, these colors had been replaced with red and white until fairly recently, when Aurmont Chandrennin Anodheles was made emperor. The young Emperor's favorable disposition toward Voln led the baron to return the original colors to the crest.
Barony of Highmount
Crest: A white bear in manacles facing left on a field of red.
Info: The present crest of the Barony of Highmount dates back to the second conquest of its eastern lands over the T'Kirem giantmen tribe, the prior inhabitants of the area. The bear being a symbol of that tribe and a symbol of strength, the crest was designed to represent the victory of the empire, to honor its fallen and subjugated foe, and the blood spilt in the process. Since the success corresponded with the recapture of the fortress-city of Kragsfell, the crest when seen on a flag is often referred to as the "Kragsfell Banner."
Barony of Dragach
Crest: A red bighorn ram facing right before white mountains on a green field
Info: Nearly synonymous with Dragach is the bighorn ram, the beast that gave Krinklehorn its name and fearlessly roams the peaks of the Dragonspine that envelops the barony. Often the banner decorated with the crest is trimmed in tartan, while a black banner variant is hoisted on the occasion of the death of a member of the McGarry ruling clan. Traditionally, once a year Dragach sent a bighorn ram to the court of Tamzyrr as a symbol of loyalty, where a McGarry clansmen slaughtered the creature and ritually presented its severed head as a gift. In recent times however, some McGarry barons have opted to save the ram and present a pair of golden ram horns instead.
Northern Empire
Earldom South Hendor
Crest: A majestic silver oak tree on a field of blue
Info: Since the fall of Hendor and its rebirth as part of the Empire, the former kingdom has established itself as the center of learning. Thus, it is not surprising to find the Tree of Knowledge, a tree that once grew in the garden of the kings of Hendor and was lost when the Witch winter descended upon the realm, at the heart of the crest. It is unknown why it was named as much, be it a favored place for young princes to be tutored or if something far more magical was involved. Those wishing to remind others of Hendor's once independent status will ring the tree with a golden crown.
Earldom North Hendor
Crest: A blue phoenix rising on a field of silver
Info: The Phoenix Banner, as it is often called by Hendorans, replaced an older, earlier crest of a white star against a green field, when the city of Lolle was recaptured by the Imperial army after its fall during the Witch Winter. Selected to represent the rise of Hendor from the ashes of ruin, the colors mirror that of the earldom's mirror, South Hendor. The minority that dreams of an independent Hendor will often fly the old banner at their own risk. Others, much more satisfied with Imperial rule, but still wishing to note Hendor's past, will ring the phoenix with a golden crown.
County of Seareach
Crest: A red eagle before a golden sun on a field of deep blue
Info: The crest of Seareach is presently the result of compromise between the two powerful interests of the western and eastern halves of the province. The sun representing the Sea of Fire to the east, and the blue, the ocean to the west. The previous banner, simply an eagle on a field of white, had caused much consternation as those in the west claimed it was an osprey, while those in the east a desert eagle. Reportedly, tensions flared so greatly over the fowl lineage of this bird that they led to the death of a minor noble who had affronted the dignity of a higher noble too far during a conference held by the Count of Seareach over matters of trade. In the western half of the county, ospreys are commonly kept by the nobility and the higher noble had particularly fond feelings for his feathered friend. In both areas of the county, birds of prey are often associated with divining due to their great sight said to see into the future.
Barony of Jantalar
Crest: A black triskelion on a field of gold and red
Info: The triskelion was adopted early in the history of Jantalar to symbolize the barony's mission to the Empire: to defend, to serve, and to expand the glory of Tamzyrr. The colors reflect the long role the Hochstib family has played in the governance of the barony. Field armies under direct command of the baron or baroness have a white border on their flag, and it is considered the highest honor of a Jantalarian soldier to be buried wrapped in this banner. This has led to the Jantalarian compliment, "Wrapped in the flag" for someone of great honor and achievement.
Barony of Talador
Crest: Formerly - A white square on a field of black
Info: Formally outlawed by Jantalar law, the Talador banner once simply represented the place that mining held in the region with the blackness of earth opened with the white square of a mine. As Talador had been ruled by council, the crest on the flag that flew over Talador often had silver diamonds representing those council members. Resistance against the Jantalar rule have altered the banner by reversing the colors, in part to honor the dead who were killed within the province's mines during the Jantalar take over.
Barony of Mestanir
Crest: A gold crown in a circle of white on a field of red.
Info: Such is the might of the Church of Koar in Mestanir, its banner was adopted by a previous baron several centuries ago. The saying, "The Patriarch's whisper is the Edict of Mestanir," originated from this relationship with the rulers of Mestanir and the Church of Koar. Due to the tacit consent given by the Church for the takeover of the barony by Jantalar, that relationship may well be more strained than usual. However, given the prominence of important pilgrimage sites and the sheer number of church clergy, it is unlikely to remain such for long.
Barony of Vornavis
Crest: A single ivory swan facing right on a field of emerald
Info: One Vornavian myth states that after the destruction of Wildwood Island, a ragged band of survivors swam the treacherous currents of the Cairnfang in the depths of night. The fell magics that ravaged the isle were such that the river seemed to turn back upon itself, and each time that they thought they had made it to the other side, they instead found themselves on the shores of the island once again. For six nights and five days, this cycle repeated itself. They grew wild with hunger, and used only the river water to slake their thirst, for they dared not set foot upon the isle for long. On the dawn of the sixth day, one of the survivors, a young servant named Oren Malwind cried out when he saw a white swan in the distant waters. Its feathers glowed like crystal quills in the morning sunlight. At first he believed the bird to be an illusion brought on by hunger and thirst, but others saw the creature too, and they gave one last ragged attempt to escape the isle by following the bird.
It did not lead them astray. The bird kept always just a few spans ahead of the refugees, until they approached a thankfully unfamiliar shore. Without taking flight, the bird waddled up onto the emerald green banks of the Cairnfang and vanished in a wash of golden light. The years passed, and the refugees thrived on the fertile shores of what would be called Solhaven Bay. None among them ever forgot the regal swan that had saved them, least of all young Oren Malwind, who grew to become a leader among the settlers. He shared the tale with his son, and then his grandson, and the tale grew into myth as the Malwind line rose in power over all of Vornavis, never forgetting the messenger that had delivered their progenitor to freedom.
The swan became their crest, framed by the green of the Cairnfang bank that had been Oren's salvation."
Barony of Riverwood
Crest: Two interlocking circles of blue pierced by a red arrow on a field of white
Info: Originally designed by the daughter of one of the Helt nobles for the famed harvest archery competition, the baron liked it so much that he made it his personal crest, replacing a white stag. Some members of the Helt family combine the two on one banner, while others, depending on their position in line of inheritance, will simply display the stag.
GM Scribes
